The physiologic differences in the pediatric patient compared with the adult patient affect the amount of drug needed to produce a therapeutic effect. The nurse is aware that one of the main differences is that infants have

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Infants have a higher percentage of total body water (approximately 75%) compared to adults. This difference affects the distribution and concentration of water-soluble drugs, often requiring adjustments in dosing to achieve therapeutic effects. Increased protein in circulation, lower fat composition, and more muscular body composition are not primary factors influencing drug therapy in infants. Therefore, the nurse must consider the higher water composition when calculating drug dosages for pediatric patients.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Absence seizures, brief lapses in consciousness, require specific antiepileptics. Carbamazepine, effective for focal seizures, can worsen absence seizures by enhancing sodium channel activity. Topiramate and clobazam have broader uses but limited efficacy here. Phenytoin suits tonic-clonic, not absence. Ethosuximide reduces T-type calcium currents in thalamic neurons, directly targeting absence seizure mechanisms, making it most effective. Its specificity ensures rapid control, critical for pediatric epilepsy management.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Aging reduces creatinine clearance in about two-thirds of individuals due to declining renal function, a true statement impacting drug excretion. Body fat increases, not decreases, with age, altering distribution of lipophilic drugs, so that's false. Total body water decreases, not increases, affecting hydrophilic drugs. Conjugation (phase II) is less affected than oxidation (phase I) by age, making that false. Absorption isn't significantly altered by age alone. Reduced renal clearance is a critical age-related change, necessitating dose adjustments for renally cleared drugs like digoxin.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Sildenafil (Viagra) commonly causes nasal congestion due to vasodilation affecting nasal blood vessels, a frequent adverse effect tied to its mechanism. Earache isn't a recognized side effect-sildenafil targets vascular smooth muscle, not auditory systems. Blurry vision occurs from PDE-6 inhibition in the retina, another known issue. Priapism, a sustained erection, is a rare but serious risk requiring urgent care. Nasal congestion stands out as a typical, manageable effect, reflecting sildenafil's systemic vasodilatory impact, distinct from less common visual or emergent issues, and aligns with patient reports needing monitoring.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.